The Soldier
The Soldier - A stalwart defender and an ever vigilant guardian of peace. Those that follow this discipline learn what it means to be a protector and they take from it the skills to not only defend themselves, but their allies as well. Longer than any can remember, the Soldier's art has been passed down from society to society and from one race to another; each time bringing a new facet to an ancient discipline. Some believe it first began with the Sol; those who trained and lived by shield and blade were known as the first champions of a greater cause; something that, in time, would become much larger and far more important than themselves. Any person, be they elf, man or dwarf could fight - but it was the elves that made it an artform. 'The Race of Man and the Soldier' As time passed, such teachings became more broad and younger races, such as the humans, followed in the footsteps of their ancient allies. The Race of Man began to adapted and created its own aspects; armies being one of them. Human armies consist of thousands of trained soldiers; none being masters of the art, but well-trained and well-equipped Soldiers can easily win by number alone and not individual skill; though some choose to expand their teachings past the basics. Factions within Human society that provide extended training include the Royal Guard and the Templars, though they weed out those who do not have the skill nor the initiative to learn. It was the humans that first pioneered the art of the Knight. These chivalrous Soldiers combine advanced shield tactics with the skills they already posess to become a heavily armored frontline combatant. 'The Champions of Sol' Many thousands of years ago, when the world was still young, the first Sol created martial artforms; such disciplines took a lifetime to master, but any whose chose to learn them were venerated as living legends; gods among elves. They bore armor with the insignia of Sol and emblazoned a burning sun upon their shields. Their people named them the Champions of Sol and they became the protectors of their land. In time, they became their own order and trained many in their ways - some trusted outsiders even recieved training... though such a thing was rare. One Champion could easily handle ten lesser opponents, and would make it look easy. Outsiders dare not approach a Sol settlement for fear of facing a trained Champion. Over time, though, the masters died and the old teachings became little more than memory or scrawlings on paper. Ambitious Sol have tried to master the ways of old, but alas, none have learned the ancient disciplines in over a thousand years. Nowadays, and because of traumatic past events, Sol communities are extremely protective. Each one will have a trained team of protectors that is always on duty. In a way, it strengthens the bond the elves have for one another, but makes them seem xenophobic and isolated in the eyes of others. 'The Steelbreakers' Very little is known about Dwarven society and, if they could have their way, the Dwarves would prefer to stick to their isolationist ways and stay forever in their halls of steel and stone - but such things are not easy. Life underground is difficult; dark beasts and old terrors stalk the forgotten passageways, waiting for a victim to drag screaming into the dark. (More later, cause I got bored.)